


The Greater Evil

by H0siesEndgame



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: A Happier ending, Blood, Confessions, Death, F/F, Hosie, Hosie Endgame, Humanity Switch, Josie feels lost without Hope, Magic, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, No Humanity, Sad, Vampire Hope, birdboy stayed dead in this universe, kiss, no landon, tribrid hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:42:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28206279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/H0siesEndgame/pseuds/H0siesEndgame
Summary: Hope activated her vampire side. Two months later, Josie is still without her girlfriend, and she doesn't know what to do. Will she ever see the real Hope again?
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 6
Kudos: 82





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this. I really enjoyed writing this, and please let me know if you want something similar again in the future! Or just let me know what you thought because I appreciate all feedback :)

Vampires. Creatures of the supernatural world, with plenty of good things about them. But with the good comes bad. Yes, they have super speed and super strength, but they also have the ability to turn their emotions off whenever they want. That is hardly a superpower. Emotions are what makes people human, it's what makes them who they are. So, when a vampire, who feels completely broken inside, switches them off, what do you do? What can you do? And what have they become? On the outside, it's merely a shell of who once was, and on the inside, there is nothing but growing darkness.

And that is what Hope Mikaelson did. She'd died and resurrected. And when things got hard, when she felt like exploding, she turned it off. However, this case of an emotionless vampire roaming the streets was far worse, because she wasn't just a vampire. No. Hope Mikaelson, the daughter of 'The Great Evil' Klaus Mikaelson, was the only tribrid in existence. The very first of her kind. That made her the most powerful being to have ever walked the planet. It also made her the most feared. People hid when they saw her. People shook at the mention of her name. People trembled when she went close to them. The students at the Salvatore School did all of this. Some more than others. But not Josie. Never Josie. The siphoner tried to get close to Hope, even when she wanted to shut the rest of the world out. After she moved to the Salvatore School, Josie made numerous attempts to befriend her until one became successful. A beautiful friendship blossomed, which turned into the two having crushes, and eventually the two of them dating. Therefore, Josie took Hope's flick of the humanity switch the hardest. It ripped her heart in two when she saw her girlfriend's blue eyes lose their sparkle. When the loving look they held disappeared, a part of Josie went with it and she hadn't been the same since.

The day that Hope turned it off was also the day she vanished from the school. She left her girlfriend without saying a word. Josie wanted to be mad. She wanted to be furious. She wanted to be able to hate Hope. She even tried hating her, but after two unsuccessful days she gave up trying. Josie knew that whatever happened she would still love Hope more than anything. 

It had been two months since Josie had last seen Hope. Two months of crying herself to sleep in the tribrid's empty bed. Months of wearing Hope's clothing because her sweet smell still clung to it...only just. She was running out of clean sweatshirts and clean hoodies. It didn't stop her from hugging them close to her face or sleeping with them next to her to create the illusion of Hope being there. Days passed of hoping that a pair of arms would wrap around her in her sleep and give her comfort to stop the nightmares. 

The girl studied books about it, looking for a simple solution to get Hope back. The real Hope. The one who was always the hero, who put her safety second to that of other people. Her Hope. It was all useless. Any piece of information she found was the same. Each passage from each book said that returning someone's humanity is something personal to them and that no two experiences were the same. You had to find their weak spot, something that would bring them back to the light. Something that would open the floodgates, allowing emotion to wash in and never be shut back out.

She remembered all that her mother had told her, what her experiences had taught her. How her humanity was brought back and how the humanity of her friends was brought back too. 

Josie didn't even know if Hope was still alive. She knew Hope was immortal, but even immortals found ways to die eventually. Hope Mikaelson knew that better than most. And all Josie wanted was a sign. Something, anything, to tell her that Hope was still breathing. Because it was torture, not knowing where she was.

All anyone at the school knew was that the moment Hope disappeared, there had been bodies dropping left and right. A good two or three a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. Josie's girlfriend, the one who gave her a talisman for her sixteenth birthday, had become somewhat of a ripper. Her thirst for human blood left trails from different places in Mystic Falls, and sometimes from other towns. Though there was never a pattern to the killing. There were no links between victims. Just people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Thankfully, Alaric managed to get Mayor Donovan to cover them up as animal attacks, something Mystic Falls suffered from a lot which nobody from the public even questioned. Josie kept track of each attack, looking for connections that she'd never find. She analyzed them to the smallest detail, thinking maybe Hope would leave her some sort of message. 

Nothing. 

The siphoner rarely ate, at least she struggled to. She couldn't sleep. Her grades were dropping. She hardly ever got out of bed and if she did, it was normally because Lizzie or MG dragged her. It was never for long. Family members had tried helping her. They had tried every possible thing to cheer her up. None of it worked. Even the Mikaelsons had paid the odd visit, to comfort Josie whilst praying for a change in Hope's case. The family did what they could, which unfortunately wasn't a whole lot. They said they'd let Alaric know if Hope showed up, not that they thought she would. 

There was only one way to get Josie back to herself again, and that 'way' was on a murderous rampage. If the rest of the supernatural world knew, they would say she had become just like her father - a monster. The Greater Evil, so to say. 

There was only one way to get Hope's emotions back - get her to a point where she' so vulnerable, where she feels too much at once that she can't stop it. That was easier said than done. 

All Josie wanted was her girlfriend by her side. The one thing Josie needed was the one thing she couldn't get back. The one person she would seek comfort from wasn't there.

At first, she had been tempted to remove her memories. Her life would be so much easier if she didn't have to deal with the constant pain. Though removing the memories meant she would forget Hope completely, and no matter how much it hurt, Hope had been too important to forget. Her feelings for the tribrid were too strong. The memories of the good times outweighed the bad. And that was the only thing keeping Josie from giving up. 

She had been laying in bed all day while her twin attended lessons. She got so lost in her thoughts, that the air in her room felt heavier and she just needed to get out. Josie decided to go on a walk. She chewed the last grape that Lizzie had left her and put on some warmer clothes. To no surprise, she picked one of the hoodies that Hope had given her a week before she left. It still had Hope's scent, but not as strong anymore. Josie had worn it too many times, so the rose smell was being replaced by vanilla.

She had taken a couple of walks during the two months, only when the air was suffocating, when her thoughts became too much. Only when she was scared her body would stop moving forever. Normally the walks were to the same place, which was where Hope would usually go to shift to her wolf form. Josie thought maybe she'd find Hope there one day. She never did. She only ever ended up crying to herself. In the school, there would always be someone looming over her, that morning was a rare exception. So, she let her legs guide her. The clothing she wore was hardly red carpet-worthy, but she didn't care. Hope wasn't around for her to dress up, nobody else was either, therefore she didn't see much point in trying.

The girl stumbled into the woods. Trees were dotted across the land, their roots going deep into the ground. Leaves that were several shades of green, brown, or orange were scattered along branches and the floor. Sunlight shone brightly down on Josie, a shock at first when compared to the gloomy lighting of her room. It was refreshing. Every now and then she'd see an animal scurry by. 

Breathing in the scent of nature was far better than the empty smell of her room. Or at times, Hope's room, which she had stayed in plenty of nights. It may seem odd, but being in nature was one thing that made her feel strangely connected to Hope. Why? Because she was a wolf. She would run and run, through fields and up hills without getting bored and without her lungs getting tired. It always fascinated Josie and seeing Hope in wolf form was something to remember. It was such a beautiful sight. She wondered what it would be like, to be a wolf in the woods, running with the wind behind you.

The sound of leaves crunching was satisfying to Josie. That was until it wasn't just the leaves under her feet that were falling apart. Somebody was nearby. Making little noise, Josie edged towards the sound. It grew louder with each step. It was a horrible sound, something out of a horror movie. The sight that appeared made Josie's stomach turn. She felt the acid rising to her throat, and she gulped heavily. Shock, relief, and worry was what she felt as she looked ahead. Right in front of her eyes, was the girl she'd missed so much, though she was feeding on some innocent human.

"Hope?" Josie checked. Was it really her? Did she make her way nearer to the school? The tribrid lifted her fangs from the neck of the girl she was sucking dry. The bite marks were dripping with blood, as were Hope's fangs. So much was drained that it was a miracle the girl was still breathing.

"Hello, love." She smirked her Hope Mikaelson smirk and dragged her tongue along the points of her fangs. To anyone who knew, they would say she very much resembled her father then. Monster-like yet somehow still very charming. The smirk was one that Josie adored. Hope knew this, which was why she did it in the first place. She made it her intention to mess with Josie a bit, to let her know she couldn't be saved. Despite no longer having emotions, Hope knew Josie would try to save her, and that meant she'd have to put on a show. She continued to drink more from her personal human blood bag. The sweet taste was one she would never get tired of. Not ever.

Sinking her teeth into the necks of the innocent had become a fun game for Hope. She'd always give them time to run before compelling them, to give her more excitement, to make it more enjoyable. Then, she'd drink every last drop of blood and dispose of the body, in very creative ways. She would see how many different ways she could come up with.

"You don't have to do this. Come back with me, please..." Hope ignored her, enjoying her meal. "Hope this isn't you," Josie begged, her voice cracking and shaking. Hope reconnected their eyes, and for a split second, seeing the pain in Josie's eyes gave her a sinking feeling in her chest. 

_No. I can't feel._ Hope shook it away quickly. She didn't need to deal with that. She was living a life free of worry or care. She could do whatever she wanted, knowing that no being was powerful enough to stop her. She was free from all the restrictions that once held her back.

"Oh but it is." She smirked again. Except for this time, her lips had evil written on them. She compelled her victim to stay still and quiet, then walked over to Josie. She expected the brunette to flinch, to step away from her or something. But she didn't. Anyone would think that what she had seen would be enough to scare her. Yet Josie didn't budge. Yes, she was a little nervous, though she still believed that the auburn-haired girl wouldn't hurt her. Hope rubbed her hand against Josie's cheek, sending a shiver down her spine, then walked back over to the random person.

"The me that you knew is long gone...and she's never coming back." Hope chuckled. It felt incredible, not being bothered by what others thought. Her life was simple. Feed. Feed. Feed. Destroy the bodies.

"But Hope...I love you." Josie admitted. It may not have been the best time to tell her girlfriend that she loved her for the first time, but she did it. It slipped out and Josie could hardly say she regretted it. She hoped it would get through the barrier that Hope had built. Maybe those three words would crack it. Josie knew she could handle just a little more pain if she got through to the real Hope.

Hope was stunned. She couldn't believe the words Josie had said. Those words had managed to warm her heart in a way she hadn't experienced in two months. 

_Say it back. Say it back...Wait, no. Nevermind. I don't care._

She feared her heart wasn't as cold and black as she thought. She feared what Josie could do to her switch if she stuck around. She had to get rid of Josie, and she devised a plan. The old her would've hated that she was going to do the plan in front of Josie. The Hope that was in that moment, she didn't care.

"Too bad." Hope snapped the neck of the stranger and watched as the body collapsed. She grinned, proud of the twenty-fifth life she had taken. She licked her lips, the sweet taste of blood still lingered. Hope stood proud, knowing nobody could stop her no matter how hard they tried. She was the all-powerful tribrid. Everybody else was merely ants to her.

Words were whispered and the body set on fire. Josie stood back, horrified by the sight, but more than anything it broke her further. The first time seeing Hope in ages and she hadn't gotten through to her. She blamed herself as if it were her fault that Hope was dropping bodies. Once the corpse was basically ash, Hope used a water spell to put it out. For the second time, she went closer to Josie. Fear was her goal. She wanted to scare her girlfriend - if she could even call Josie that anymore. Part of her wished she could, though she brushed it off. She felt her heartbeat quicken and she couldn't slow it down as the gap between them closed.

If she could scare Josie enough the maybe the siphoner would finally give up on her. Maybe she'd finally understand that there was no saving Hope. 

"Don't come near me again...Or I will kill you." To most, that would be threatening enough. It would for sure send plenty of people running for the hills. Josie stayed. She knew the real side of Hope. The soft, happy, cheerful side. The Hope that would nestle her head further into Josie's chest if a jump scare happened in a movie. The Hope that refused to admit she was the little spoon. 

Hope's real side seemed long gone to virtually everyone else who knew of the situation but not to Josie. How could she ever give up on Hope when Hope never gave up on her?

"I. Will. Kill. You." Hope repeated in the most neutral tone. No emotion was displayed. She meant it or thought she did. In her mind, she knew having Josie around could bring her humanity back. She could make the switch falter and Hope couldn't have that. Hope wasn't ready to feel again. Josie, on the other hand, was still hopeful that she could save the girl who she'd been with for months, but loved for even longer.

After getting her point across, the tribrid used her vamp speed to get away, leaving a crying Josie behind. She'd witnessed her girlfriend kill someone in cold blood. She'd heard the stories already. Seeing it was a whole other thing. It was no longer just a thought or news or rumors. It was happening. It was, in fact, reality. A reality she couldn't believe she was living.

In all honesty, Hope didn't intend on leaving so soon. Her original plan was to find more victims in the area, mess with them, maybe get them to steal her some human food. Then, of course, Josie came along and ruined that. Hope was annoyed that Josie had interrupted her dinner. She was also annoyed that she felt a little something. The whole deal with the humanity switch was that you felt nothing at all. So why did she almost feel happy to see Josie?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of the first part?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second part. Continues from where the first one ended.

Josie got straight back into bed and the tears fell faster. The girl curled up in a ball, hugging her own legs. Hope was alive, that was the main thing, meaning there was a chance at getting the real her back. It also meant more time for her to drop more bodies. Josie really thought that seeing Hope would help. She thought seeing her would remind her of who she was and bring her back. But the girl she saw was as far from the real Hope as she could be. 

"Hey Jo." Lizzie carried in a tray with Josie's favorite sandwiches and used her foot to kick the door closed. The brunette lifted her head, revealing her tear-stained face. "I brou-oh my god what the hell happened? Are you okay? Who's ass do I have to kick?" Lizzie set the food aside and joined her sister on the bed. Lizzie held Josie's hand, trying to be somewhat comforting. 

"I-I saw Hope." Josie said. Lizzie raised her brows. Her best friend had finally shown her face again. But why?

"About time." Lizzie joked, but Josie couldn't laugh. She was beyond the point of that. In fact, Josie hadn't laughed properly in two months. She'd barely even smiled. "So, what happened?" She asked again, willing to listen if Josie wanted to talk. Considering Josie had been there for her so many times, it was the least she could do.

"Well...I went for a w-walk...Umm" Josie stuttered on almost every word. "A-and there she was. In the woods...d-dri-inking some poor human's blood." The siphoner cried. Thinking about it felt like she was sticking her fingers into an open wound. It stung her, more than anything else ever had. She just wanted Hope to be okay.

"Did you talk to her?"

"A bit. I really thought I could get through t-to her...even j-just a little, but then...sh-she snapped the person's neck and b-burned the body...right in front-t of me before I had the chance to do anything." Lizzie pulled her sister in close. This was a normal occurrence, Josie crying and Lizzie holding her. This was certainly the worst of them all. Normally, Josie never said a word, which was why Lizzie was surprised to get an answer to her question. 

"W-what if we n-never get h-er back?" Josie mumbled. It was barely audible, yet audible enough for Lizzie to hear. She couldn't help voicing her biggest fear. It loomed over her. She would never give up, but she was worried she'd spend her entire life trying to something that would never work.

"If she doesn't come back, then I will personally take the pleasure of killing her, very very slowly for putting you through this." Lizzie chuckled, ignoring the fact she didn't actually know of a successful way to kill Hope, if there even was a way to kill her. She did everything she could to lighten the mood. 

"But it's not her fault. Not entirely." Her emotions were all over the place. One minute it seemed like Hope was gone for good, and another she thought there was still a shred of humanity buried within the tough exterior.

"Obviously I'm kidding, Jo. Look, you can't think like that. Hope will come back to you. She loves you."

"How do you know that? Sh-she didn't s-ay it b-back when I told her that I-I loved her today." Josie said. To her, it was true. Any ounce of love Hope had, clearly wasn't shown when they met up. So Josie feared that Hope didn't care anymore.

Lizzie successfully managed to hold back a gasp at the information, that Josie had told Hope she loved her for the first time. That would not have made Josie feel any better, but she was certainly proud of her. 

"She didn't have to say it for me to know that she does. She may not be showing it, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. She didn't get rid of her feelings, only pushed them further aside and sooner or later she will have to face it, and everything she's done." Lizzie explained. Her attempt to comfort her sister was working. Lizzie was right. Josie could never give up on the girl who never gave up on her. She already knew that and Lizzie had simply reminded her. She had simply been in a state of shock after seeing Hope for the first time in two months. Then again, Hope threatened to kill Josie if they met once more. Humanity or not, Josie knew Hope couldn't kill her. She couldn't, not after everything. Not after the history that they shared.

~~~~

Three days later and Josie hadn't seen Hope again. The brunette had slowly returned to classes. She could no longer keep her life on pause, not now that she had much greater faith in helping the girl she loved. Alaric was the one who originally suggested she return to lessons, as he didn't think Hope would ever come back. Plus, he pointed out that if she missed anymore that she'd fail her class (lucky for her Lizzie had been collecting notes and work for her to catch up). Josie hadn't told her dad about her interaction from a few days before. She didn't want him to judge Hope and see her the way everyone else saw her - as a copy of her father. 

In the time that Hope had been killing, her family had astral projected a lot, but they all intended on visiting when Hope was actually around. Seeing as the girl was in the wind, there was nothing they could do. They'd kindly asked Alaric and those at the school to capture Hope if need be, so that they could do anything necessary to get Hope's emotions and feelings back.

After classes, Josie sat at her desk, once again ignoring the world around her, as she wrote down what was on her mind, in the pages of her diary. It was something she had done throughout her life but did it far more often since the situation with her girlfriend first started.

**Dear diary,  
Another day without Hope. I feel like I'm losing my mind. I'm starting to eat and sleep more, and I'm even going back to classes - though it's still rough. I just don't know how to live without her, and knowing that she is out there killing people makes it even harder. She's my girlfriend and I'm supposed to be the one who helps her and comforts her. I feel guilty. I feel like it's my fault that she's out killing people. If I had just gotten through to her when I saw her. If I had just taken something I could of siphoned, then maybe I would have been able to bring her back with me. **

****

****

****

**Here I am, crying over and over. I feel so incredibly lost without her by my side. She made me happy. She made me feel special and loved and now she seems like she doesn't care.**

****

**I have to keep telling myself that she can be saved. And I believe that, I really do. I'm not so sure about everyone else. I just need my Hopey to come back to me.**


	3. Chapter 3

The following day, Hope was ready to feast on more humans. She was ready for more chaos. She wondered what Josie would think of her, then she remembered she didn't care. Or at least she didn't want to. Really, she had thought about Josie a lot since she saw her in the woods. She didn't want to. Each time Josie found her way into Hope's mind, the tribrid could feel her switch faltering. And she hated that. She didn't want to feel again, not after the things she had done.

Murder. Cold-blooded murder. Even if Hope wanted to (not that she did), how could she ever go back to the life she had before? Where she had friends, a school. That stuff was complicated. There was always the risk of hurting someone's feelings. At least this way, she was alone and didn't have to think about everyone else. They couldn't be there to annoy her. It was better for, and for everyone, if she just stayed away.

~~~~

Josie sat in the Old Mill after her classes. It was a nice change of scenery from her or Hope's room. She was trying to draw, something that she picked up from being with her girlfriend. What was she drawing? Well, she was drawing Hope. Her perfect silky hair and her beautiful blue eyes. She'd studied Hope's face a thousand times, so it was easy to draw even the tiniest details, completely from memory. Waking up in the mornings in the arms of the girl she loved, allowed Josie to capture every part of her face.

A strange growl rippled through the woods, just as Josie drew another strand of hair. It wasn't all that loud but it was fierce. 

_Is it another Malivore monster? How can I stop it without Hope? Should I go alone?_

After thinking, Josie realized there wasn't enough time to get and get someone. If it was a monster, there was no way it would wait around for Josie to get help. There was another growl, helping Josie understand what direction to go. 

Her heart was pounding. She didn't have a plan. Making a plan had always been Hope's job. She was always the one in crisis mode, and everyone else went along with it. This time, it was Josie's turn. She had to save the day, somehow. She panicked, thinking she had nothing to siphon when she remembered the talisman around her neck that Hope gave her on her sixteenth birthday. She rarely ever took it off. Especially since Hope had gone all ripper. It was another thing that made her feel connected to Hope, or like Hope was still there. It reminded her of simpler and better days when their biggest worry was studying for a test, not when the next body would drop.

Another growl. This time, much much closer to her. Maybe meters away. Around a tree or two. She dodged them, finding her way to a creature. It was tall, hairy, and incredibly ugly. Fangs could be seen digging into its lower lip, with some liquid dripping from them. The creature noticed the girl interrupting its stroll, and got very angry. In a swift movement, it threw her across the floor, resulting in her hitting her head on a tree trunk. Hard, but not hard enough to knock her out. Just enough to blur her vision briefly.

Whilst she was trying to regain her footing, another person flew in and glared at her. They moved in a blur. They rolled their eyes, distracted by Josie's presence. When she could finally see again, it was her. Hope. Eye contact was held, then the monster threw Hope. She mentally cursed, telling herself not to get distracted. As Hope got her balance back, her heart fell to the pit of her stomach. This creature, whatever it was, had Josie in a strong chokehold. The girl was gasping for air, simultaneously siphoning from the talisman. Hope, unable to stop herself, used a spell to bring the monster to her and sliced it's head off as it came closer. She felt a burning feeling in her chest, which she thought could've been anger or frustration. However, that was insane. She didn't feel anymore. 

"You saved me." Josie said between coughs. Her voice portrayed her shock, and her eyes displayed nothing but gratitude to Hope. This was her second chance to break through to the real Hope, and she wasn't going to let it slip past her.

"No." Hope stated, with the tiniest tremor in her voice, small enough that Josie didn't notice. "I...I wanted to be able to kill you myself, which is what I said I would do if you were near me again." She kept the heartless act up. Despite not wanting to give up, Josie still felt a chunk of her heart get taken away each time Hope said this, or when another body was reported.

Josie stood up, bringing herself in front of Hope. She was a little taller, so she had to look down, but she kept strong eye contact with the girl who'd been on a murder spree. "Do it." She said. Hope's eyes fluttered open and closed as if she couldn't believe the words Josie had spoken. "Do it," Josie repeated like she could hear what Hope was thinking. Suddenly, that annoyance and urge to kill Josie that Hope once felt was gone. Instead, there was...concern? 

_No. I can't feel._

She put a hand on Josie's neck. The girl under the grip winced, Hope's fingers caught the same sport the creature had, which would definitely leave a bruise.

Tears collected in Josie's eyes. She certainly meant it. She wanted to see if Hope could do it. She was so sick of the pain and this seemed like some sort of plan. Probably a crazy plan, but it was all she had. And it had the potential to work. "DO IT." 

_No. No emotions. You don't care, Hope. You can't care._

Josie's voice got louder and a tear fell. Hope didn't know how to act. Not once, with the dozens of victims she killed, had one of them actually asked or challenged her to kill them. And not once had she hesitated. And with that person being Josie, it made it even stranger. Hope threatened her the last time they met, so why couldn't she go through with it? Her free hand was clenched, shaking. 

_No. No feelings. I-I can't._

"W-why aren't you fighting back?" She stuttered. Was she...nervous? Josie wondered if this was Hope's emotions breaking through the barricade. It seemed like the real her was leaking through and making an appearance, all she had to was push a little harder. This was the closest she had been, and she'd be damned if she didn't keep trying. 

"Because it's you...I could never fight you...No matter how angry or upset I get." Josie sniffled. "I am tired, Hope. I'm tired of living like this. I'm miserable without you...the real you! I'd rather die than live like this for another second. I-it just hurt t-too much." She explained. Josie may have added a small amount of exaggeration, but deep down she truly did feel lost without Hope.

"I..." Hope couldn't even form a sentence. 

_No. Don't feel._

Her switch, was right between on and off. One way and a tidal wave of guilt and sadness would hit her. Or the other, and she would feel nothing at all. Except, her hand wasn't the one on the switch. Josie's was. Hope may not have realized it, but at that moment Josie had control of Hope's emotions.

With her eyes closed, she put Hope's hand directly over her heart and begged. "P-please, Hope...I'm done waiting to get you back." Tear upon tear. Two waterfalls, one on each cheek. Her heartbeat was steady. She wasn't scared. She was plain and simply, fed up. 

Hope could feel it. The rhythmic beating of Josie's heart, giving her life. That's what Josie used to do for Hope, before all the drama. The girl used to bring light to each day. She was there when Hope was sad, or when she had a panic attack. Josie there for Hope when her parents died, she was there for Hope when Landon died. Hope remembered that even if she didn't feel it completely, though she was beginning to at that moment. Sadness. That's what she was beginning to feel. Sadness that Josie was giving up on life, and giving up on her, she thought. Guilt. The guilt she felt for putting Josie in that position. Anger. Anger for Josie making her start to feel again.

"I can't li-live with this pain anymore." Josie cried, eyes still closed, awaiting a moment that would never come. Hope could never tear out the heart of the girl that she...loved. It was coming back. All of it. Every feeling, every emotion, attached to every memory. Happiness. Confusion. Regret...and love. Love above everything else. Love for Josie. It was her turn to tear up. Her eyes moved to the left then to the right as they shuffled through each memory.

~~~

**_She paced down the street, at a humans pace as she chaced...well, a human. She chuckled, watching them run down a dark alleyway._ **

**__**

**__**

**_"You can't escape me." She laughed. Having no emotions was good. And the thought of taking a life was so enticing. The young man whimpered, looking for a way out. When Hope had enough fun, she ran in front of him and sunk her teeth in. That initial feeling was better than anything she ever felt. The rush of adrenaline was strong. Hearing the man scream made it even better. She felt good. She felt strong. Powerful. He feared her and she liked it. Then, the alley was quiet and his body collapsed._ **

~~~

Feelings. All of them. But so much guilt. All the pain she had caused her family, friends...Josie. They had to watch her become a monster without any way to stop her. Guilt. So many people she had killed. Guilt. All of their faces were burned into her memory. Guilt. Each person she'd taken, leaving families without a son, daughter, wife, parent. Her actions had inflicted pain on many. So may victims. So many dead at her hands. So much blood. 

She stumbled back, letting go of Josie. She felt a tear leave a wet trail down her skin. The gemini twin, still had her eyes closed, expecting Hope to grab her again and make a snarky comment. But it didn't come. _She's gone,_ Josie thought. No. Hope was still there, and Josie finally realized that after opening her eyes. The emotions had become too much to handle and the tribrid dropped to her knees. Josie watched. Was it really happening? Was her girlfriend finally becoming herself again?

"Hope?"

"Alex." She mumbled. "That was the name of t-the first guy I killed." She remembered looking at his wallet before taking all he had. "He...He had a child, Josie. I-I took a child's father away." She said. So many mistakes. If only she could go back, reverse what she'd done. That would be called a miracle. See, Hope had to live with it. She had to live, carrying the names of all of her victims. So many people. She knew each face, after taking their money and disposing of anything that wasn't of value. 

"Jo...I-I'm so sorry." Josie kneeled beside her, allowing Hope to fall into her chest. She stroked Hope's back with one hand and brushed the other through Hope's hair. This was the most real moment they'd had in so long. Josie pulled Hope back, placing her hand on Hope's cheek, to look in her eyes. They were back to showing emotion. Though they were far sadder than before. It was then that Josie knew she had her Hope back. The one that she fell in love with.

"I'm a te-terrible person." She frowned. The tears hadn't stopped. She didn't think they would ever stop.

"No you're not." Josie tried composing herself. She had to be stronger for Hope. "Yes, you have done some terrible things but that doesn't make you a bad person. You weren't yourself but now you are...and I already know that you regret those things and are going to spend the rest of your life making up for them. You are good, Hope Mikaelson...you've just made some mistakes and that comes with life." Josie said, meaning every word. She could see how sorry Hope felt. 

"Still...I understand if you no longer want to be with me." 

"I still want you, Hope. Nothing you could ever do would make me want to break up with you." Hope leaned into the touch. This, made Josie smile her first genuine smile in months. Hope may not have been completely happy just yet, but she knew that she would if she had Josie by her side, to work through all of it.

"I love you, too." Hope said, after seconds of silence. Josie's hand had fallen into Hope's by then, the familiar warmth being comforting for them both. The tears were gone, just sniffles.

"What?" Josie answered, shocked but also unsure.

"You said it...The other day in the woods and...I-I never said it back." Hope hadn't forgotten about that, even if the no-humanity version of her wanted to.

"You didn't have to, Hope."

"I know, but I'm saying it now. I love you, Josie Saltzman." She rubbed circles on the back of Josie's hand. "Always and forever. And I promise to be better in the future." Josie's heart melted. Only Hope Mikaelson could do that to her.

"I love you, too." They pressed their foreheads together, and both made the effort to close the distance. The longing and love were demonstrated in the kiss. Josie had craved Hope's touch and she finally had it. The girl was back in her arms. Hope's lips were back on her own. The sparks flew. They had a lot of stuff to work through, but no matter what, they would do it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very happy with how this turned out. Tell me what you thought! Would appreciate it if you pointed out any mistakes. If you have any oneshot/short story Hosie ideas for me to try in the future, leave them in the comments :)


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